The Indigenous people of Rhode Island were the first to call this land home. This November, in honor of Native American Heritage Month, we are sharing a list of resources, including programs, educational tools, and articles, to showcase their rich history and continuing impact on our state.
This page will continue to be updated throughout November. If you have suggestions for resources to add to this page, please email communications@rihs.org.
Programs • Community Organizations • Tools for Educators • Recorded Virtual Talks
- Indigenous Americans Encounter Old World Pagan Barbarians with David Lupher: Join the Brown Department of Classics on Wednesday, November 13th, at 5:45pm, for a lecture by David A. Lupher, Professor of Classics, Emeritus, University of Puget Sound that considers how Indigenous Americans responded to the realization that the European intruders on their territory were descended from peoples whose ways of life and experiences of imperialism resembled their own.
- Scratching the Surface: History on the Walls Artist Talk with Wampanoag Artist Deborah Spears Moorehead: Join the RIHS on Thursday, November 14, at 6pm as Deborah Spears Moorehead presents on her art and literature, which addresses the pivotal roles that the Eastern Woodland Tribal Nations played in the making of the United States.
- Virtual Lunch & Learn: Breaking the Thanksgiving Myth: Join the Tomaquog Museum on Monday, November 25th, at 12 p.m. for a presentation exploring the long-held conventions we associate with Thanksgiving. Learn how you can still enjoy your turkey while being historically accurate and culturally sensitive.
- Library of Congress Native American Heritage Month Website: The Library of Congress website honoring Native American Heritage Month includes online information from the National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, and the Smithsonian Institution.
- National Museum of the American Indian Website: Website from the Smithsonian highlighting educational resources, collections, and online content on the history of Native Americans.
- Narragansett History Encompass Chapter: This online textbook from the RIHS contains primary sources, essays, and lesson plans on Narragansett history and culture.
- Complete the Circle with Sherenté Harris: Sherenté Harris, an Indigenous Two Spirit Dancer, overcame discrimination through traditional dance. Hear how they overcame this experience to go on and win first place, as well as become a youth leader and activist in both the LGBTQ+ and Narragansett communities.
- King Philip’s War with National Park Ranger John McNiff: Called the deadliest war in American history, King Philip’s War was fought right here in southern New England. Roads, landmarks, and businesses all mirror names from this war. But what was really happening? Why, after 2 or 3 generations of Native People and English living side by side did this war come about? Retired National Park Ranger John McNiff explores how King Philip’s War unfolded, its impact in Rhode Island, and takes questions from the audience.
- Reading Roger Williams: Rogue Puritans, Indigenous Nations, the Founding of America Book Talk: Roger Williams is best known as the founder of Rhode Island, who was banished from Massachusetts in 1636 for his dangerous thoughts on religious liberty. But the city and colony Williams helped found was deep in Native country, situated between the powerful Narragansett and Wampanoag nations. The Williams that emerges from the documents in this collection, which span his lifetime, is immersed in a dynamic world of Native politics, engaged in regional and trans-Atlantic debates and conversations about religious freedom and the separation of church and state, and situated at the crossroads of colonial outposts and powerful Native nations.